Life-preserving suit.



Pamlltfi D60. 29; 1914;.-

2 SIHEBTS-SHEBT 24 R. ZELESZKIEWIGZ. LIFE PRESERVING SUIT. APPLXOATION nun 00-32. 13, um.

ROMAN ZELESZKIEWICZ,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH MECHOCKI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

mrnrsnsnnvme SUIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed October 13, 1914. Serial No. 866,428.

wicz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have'invented certain new and.

useful Improvements in Life-Preserving suits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to. certain new and The primary object of the invention 1s to provide a foldable inflatablefloat having a pair of trousers attached centrally thereof after the manner of the brooches buoy and serviceable as a life prcserver.

A further object is to provide a float of boat form and having trousers formed centrally positioned therewith and whereby the wearer may enter the trousers with the float positioned surrounding the waist and may manually fill the float with air for sustaining the same upon the surface of the water.

A still further object is to provide a foldable boat-shaped float. adapted for supporting a person upon the surface of't-hewater in a proper position for treading water and thereby navigating forshort distances.

\Vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the I sists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying v drawings, and set forth in the appende A claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the. several views. Figure 1 is a central vertical loi'igitudinal sectional view through the device illustrating a manpositioned therein. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 3 isv a vertical central transverse sectional view thereof with the trouser legs broken away, and Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail perspective view of one side of the central portion of the foldable frame of the float.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the invention broadly consists in the provision of a. boat-shaped float having a pair of trousers 11 centrally positioned therein and with the trouser legs 12 depending therefrom and adapted to receive a 55 person such as the man 13 illustrated in Fig.

useful improvements in life preserving suits.

invention is better understood, the same con- 1, and having closed feet portions 26. The float 10 is formed of an upper and a lower frame 1 1 and 15 respectively, and spaced apart by hinged braces 16 allowing the frames to be folded together by means of the hinges 17 of said braces which fold out.- wardly away from each other. A flexible cover 18 is secured over the framework thus formed and the same may be provided of canvas or rubber or other suitable material and is herein illustrated as formed of rubher, and having portions 19 thereof molded around the frames: 14 and 15 for securely positioning the cover upon the frame.

The trousers 11 are provided with a belt or waist band 20 which is made in the form of a watertight joint with a reinforcing wire 27 embedded therein and between the float cover 18 and the trousers as best illustrated in Fig. 3 is beingunderstood that the trousers extend centrallythrough the float with the belt 20 forming a circular opening in the top thereof, while the trouser legs 12 depend beneath the float and provide two leg-openings 21 in the bottom of the float. The trousers being secured by air tight joints with the float, the body-portion 22 thereof forms a centrally positioned tubular wall traversing the float vertically so that the interior of the float comprises a single air and water tight compartment.

An air pump 23 is provided upon the float and adapted to be actuated by the occupant thereof in. pumping air through the pipe 24 to the. interior of the float for inflating the same and rendering it buoyant for supporting the person occupying the trousers. An air outlet valve 25 isprovided upon the cover 18 to allow the air to escape from the float so the same may be folded when desired byfolding the braces 16 and positioning the frames in contact with each other. Cross braces .28 are provided for eaclr frame upon opposite sides of the trousers. 7

From this detailed description of the do vice the completeoperation thereof will be apparent in that when desired for use as a floating life-preserver, a person may put-on the trousers by unfolding the float member and may then inflate the float by'means of the pump 23 and in which position the wearer will be supported in an upright floating position.

While the forms of the invention herein llo shown and described are What are believed to be the preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor her and chamber and having leg and feet 15 portions depending therefrom, an inflating changes may be made therein Without deconnecting the said frames, a flexible cover surrounding the said frames and forming an inflating chamber therein, a pair of trousers centrally positioned through said float mempnmp and an. outlet valve for said chamber positioned upon the upper side of said float E5 parting from the spirit and scope of the inmember, portions of the said frames being vention set forth. in the claim. embedded in the material forming the flexi What I claim as new is ble cover therefor. A device of the class described comprising In testimony whereof I afiix my signature a boat shaped float member formed of an in presence of two Witnesses. 3Z6 upper and a lower frame, foldable braces RGMAN ZELESZKIEEVICZ Witnesses Mncnocm Tormr, ADAM CIBOROWSKY. 

